BOS won the AL East in 2016. They were 4 games better than TOR and BAL in the standings. The chasers need to make up ground but it looks like they lost ground! The addition of Sale makes this team very strong. It puts the 2016 Cy Young winner (Porcello) in the 3rd rotation spot. What other teams can do this? Hard to imagine many situations he is not going to be a favorite. The youthful hitters will continue to grow but they have few questions. Power replacement for Ortiz and bullpen is totally remade. However, BOS won 93 in 2016 and certainly can get to that same level in 2017. TOR has lost some power with Encarnacion leaving. He is a BIG loss as their team is aging. They have not filled that void this season. They do have a good and possibly great pitching staff, though. This will be enough to keep them above the quagmire that is the rest of the division. They won 89 games last season. They will not get to 89 but only miss by a little. I believe around 85-86 wins. Then there is the rest. BAL is in very poor starting pitching shape. NY is poor offensively and not great starting pitching. TB is better pitching but can’t score. I am going to line them up this way. NY at .500 because that seems like their target. If they start to fail, they will spend some to maintain that level. I will give them 3rd in the division. Followed closely by TB. They can get their pitching right which will help improve faster. They also have a new hitting coach bringing a refreshing attitude to hitting. They just have too much ground to make up to compete at the top levels. BAL was dependent on the relief so much last season and have done nothing to make that any better. Their pitching is worse than 2016! Tillman won’t start the beginning of the season. They will not get the same performance from Trumbo, so they seem headed for a decline. I see it this way. #1 BOS| #2 TOR| #3 NY| #4 TB |#5 BAL
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